United States Border Patrol said it arrested 113 people in Maine in April, which it said is the highest monthly total in 24 years. The agency also coordinated with ICE to fly some of those detained out of state.
In a statement released Wednesday, Border Patrol said the increase in arrests was the result of expanded enforcement throughout the state, not an increase in illegal crossings.
And the agency said earlier this week it coordinated with ICE to fly 29 of those people from Portland to other parts of the country for further processing, but did not say exactly where.
A video posted to social media Wednesday shows a number of people in handcuffs and ankle cuffs standing on the tarmac at the jetport and walking up stairs into an airplane as Border Patrol agents look on.
A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.